Well, This Has The Potential To Be Awkward
by xxxTsubasaHoLic
Summary: When Fai and Kurogane enter a karaoke competition, things get.. well, awkward! Rated K for slight language... blame Kurogane... and potentially dangerous amounts of fluff. KuroFai, of course. This is a two-part oneshot. Read and Review!
1. Part One

**A/N: Think of this as a really long oneshot. The idea struck me one day, and I just had to write it down. Anyway, this is a nice bit of fluff for two chapters with some drama at the end. Set in modern-day New York City. Told from a Kurogane-ish point of view, sometimes switching to Fai's POV. It's my first oneshot, so take it easy on me. I'm not that great at writing short plots, so this ended up as kind of a mini-series. Enjoy! R/R, flames will be extinguished.**

**Disclaimer: If I was CLAMP this fan fiction would probably be much better. But I'm not. Oh well.**

**/**

Kurogane lifted his drink, taking a slow, thoughtful sip of the clear liquid. The bustling restaurant smelled strongly of alcohol. It probably hadn't been a good idea to let the kids and that stupid mage come along if there was alcohol in the vicinity; Kurogane tried to avoid dealing with meowing drunks whenever he could. But Sakura had wanted to see the karaoke performances promised on that particular night, and of course Syaoran wanted to come with her.

This new world was unlike anything the group had ever visited before. The white dumpling had dropped them into a strange urban jungle, with tall gray buildings reaching hundreds of feet high. At night, though, the concrete city was alight with bright neon signs. It reminded Kurogane slightly of Piffle World, but quieter. The people in this world seemed friendly enough, although they had some strange customs. Yuuko had needed to explain through Mokona what 'karaoke' was, and of course the kids were lured to the prospect of entertainment.

Kurogane figured it would be fine to take a rest for a few days. God knows the kids needed it, especially Syaoran. The princess was a kind and strong girl, but looking after her constantly had to get old sometime. The ninja admired Syaoran's quiet strength.

Kurogane placed his drink on the round wooden table. Syaoran seemed to be happy right now, sitting across the small table next to Sakura. She chatted animatedly with him, smiling and laughing. Syaoran let a rare smile cover his usually stoic face. The quiet boy seemed much more alive when Sakura was with him. Both the boy and princess had eagerly bought new clothes. Syaoran wore a green and white striped shirt and khaki shorts, while the princess had decided on a light pink shirt and white shorts.

"Sakura-chan, the performance is starting! Look up at the stage," Fai piped cheerfully, jabbing a long, skinny finger at the speaker onstage. Fai's customary robe had been switched with a tight-fitting white shirt and some kind of blue pants called jeans. Kurogane had passed on the girly attire and instead chosen a black sleeveless shirt and matching black jeans.

Kurogane scowled, fixing his crimson eyes on the mage. The blond was especially irritating tonight; at least he wasn't drunk. Yet.

"Is it really necessary for you to sound like such a goddamn idiot all the time?" Kurogane mumbled, his gaze lingering on the tall blond man for a bit longer than it should have.

Kurogane was embarrassingly aware of this, turning away from Fai with a blush spreading across his face.

"Sakura-chan, help me! Kuro-pon's picking on me!" Fai wailed, thankfully not noticing Kurogane's embarrassment.

He grabbed Sakura's arm in mock terror, cuddling up close to the princess. She giggled, a bit tipsy from wine that Kurogane probably shouldn't have let her drink. Syaoran smiled uneasily.

Fai had seemed especially cheerful lately, for reasons unknown to the ninja. He smiled more often, and since Ashura had died the mage's smiles had been decidedly more genuine. He got along flawlessly with the kids, and even the white meat bun. Mokona had protested the idea of staying behind at the hotel that night, but Fai had managed to convince him that it was for the best. Magic seemed to be an unknown thing in this urban world.

Kurogane sighed, turning towards the wide stage. A very attractive female speaker stood in front of the microphone. She had long, cascading red hair and wore a glittering purple gown. The woman began to speak in an artificially cheerful voice.

"Let's get started with tonight's karaoke competition, shall we? Anyway, the rules of the contest are as follows. The song will be chosen randomly, and you have to sing whatever is chosen for you. The audience will select the winner, who will receive a fabulous prize!"

The pretty woman swirled the microphone in her hands fancily.

"And who will the first contestant be? Spotlight!"

Every pair of eyes in the room followed the yellow spotlight through the crowd. A drum roll played, and the beam finally settled on a young brown-haired guy. He trudged up to the stage, taking the microphone from the man in the tuxedo. Fai, Sakura, and Syaoran cheered loudly as a song began to play. The kid onstage looked nervous; Kurogane felt sorry for him. It appears that contestants were chosen randomly, rather than by signing up.

A fast song began to play. The kid onstage sweated profusely, gripping the black microphone tightly. He began to sing, watching a karaoke screen in the back of the room for the lyrics.

…_Told you I made dinner plans  
For you and me and no one else  
That don't include your crazy friends…_

Instantly, every female in the room began to scream in delight. Kurogane looked around, bewildered. The people from this world seemed very strange.

…_Oh this is an S.O.S.  
Don't wanna second guess,  
This is the bottom line  
It's true…_

The kid was lucky; he was a decent singer and seemed to be well received. Kurogane was just glad it wasn't him up there. Fai and Sakura were still cheering loudly, now screaming like drunken fan girls. The song eventually fizzled out, followed by loud applause. The kid jumped down from the stage, rushing back to his seat in a hurry.

"He was good, huh, Kuro-chi?" the mage chirped.

Kurogane growled something under his breath. Fai laughed, swirling his long blond hair on his pale fingertip. The neon light sparkled off of his golden hair, making the blond look almost prett-

No. Kurogane would not let himself think of Fai that way, unless it had to do with swords and/or chainsaws. He blushed again, hating himself for it. For a while now the ninja had been thinking about the mage quite often. Kurogane figured it had something to do with alcohol poisoning.

"What's wrong, Kuro-wanwan? You seem mad," Fai wheedled, poking the scowling man in the side. Kurogane snarled, setting Fai off into another bout of laughter.

"But Kuro-Daddy is always mad. You'll set a bad example for the kids!" Fai ducked, expertly anticipating the punch Kurogane was about to throw. The blow instead landed on the table, nearly spilling their drinks. The mage's blond head popped up from underneath the table, a teasing grin plastered across it.

"Don't be an abusive father!" Fai whined with fake sadness.

"DON'T BE SO FREAKING ANNOYING, THEN!" the ninja shouted, ruffling his short black hair in frustration. The mage just laughed, silencingKurogane with another sharp poke to the ribs.

"And don't do that poking thing! It freaking hurts!" Kurogane growled, rubbing his side. He turned to the stage, trying as hard as he could to ignore the blond's giggling.

The attractive hostess was now onstage again. She drawled cheerily into the microphone, grinning widely.

"Now, wasn't that amazing? This kid deserves a round of applause. Who thinks they can top that performance?"

The yellow spotlight flickered around the full room once more, passing over most of the audience. Kurogane flinched when the beam traveled over him, ducking out of sight under the table. When he heard applause, Kurogane looked around to see who had been chosen.

Oh, God. They had to be kidding.

The spotlight had come to rest across the table from Kurogane.

/

Fai's heart jumped when he felt the warmth of the spotlight on his back. The audience cheered, grinning at him. Kurogane glared up at him with fiery crimson eyes, obviously expecting something. Fai's heart fluttered in his chest. Kurogane would probably think he was an even bigger idiot for doing this.

/

The mage stood slowly amongst mountains of applause. The audience was beginning to get excited, and seemed to hunger for entertainment. But Fai actually seemed… nervous.

Kurogane noticed the mage glancing back at him several times with a strange expression on his face. The slender man picked his way gingerly around the tables, climbing up a small staircase to get onstage. He stood next to the red-haired woman, looking down at the ground.

This was unlike Fai. He usually loved to be the center of attention, and was almost never self-conscious. Not that Kurogane noticed. But there was no mistaking the anxious expression on the man's face as the microphone was thrust into his slender hands.

Fai was now glancing nervously at the table, his eyes flickering towards Kurogane. Their eyes met for an instant. Kurogane strangely found himself unable to break away from Fai's intense gaze.

Strong guitar chords began to play, followed by drums. The song was very fast and intense. The mage's eyes didn't break away from Kurogane's stare. Fai seemed to gain some courage, and began to sing.

Kurogane wasn't braced for what happened next. A voice unlike any he'd ever heard drifted out into the crowd. Fai's voice was lofty and sweet, perfectly pitched. He almost sounded like a girl.

_Here we are, so whatcha gonna do?_

_Do I gotta spell it out for you?_

_I can see you've got other plans for tonight_

_But I don't really care_

Kurogane watched in stunned silence as the slender blond man sang. Sakura and Syaoran gazed toward the stage in a sort of rapture. Fai's sapphire eyes had still not left Kurogane's ruby ones. He seemed to gain courage, beginning to move around the stage a bit. The audience seemed to be taken aback, but soon warmed up to the blond's performance.

_Size me up, you know I've beat the best_

_Tick tock, no time to rest_

_Let them say what they're gonna say_

_But tonight I just don't really care_

The music filled the room, building up intensely. Every eye followed the blond man's graceful movements as he moved around the stage playfully. Fai's voice filled the large room completely, pleasing the audience greatly.

_Come on baby, we ain't gonna live forever_

_Let me show you all the things that we could do_

_You know you wanna be together_

_And I want to spend the night with you_

Fai danced around the stage bravely. The audience was completely captured, wrapped up in the spectacular performance. Kurogane felt his face flush when Fai's eyes met his once again. The blonde's gaze was playful and teasing, almost mischievous.

_With you_

_Come with me tonight, _

_We can make the night last forever_

The other people in the audience had caught on as well. They followed Fai's gaze across the room to a furiously blushing Kurogane. The mage's blue eyes sparkled mischievously.

/

Fai was having fun. He'd eased into the performance quickly, and was now focusing his energy on irritating Kuro-myuu. The blond knew he'd pay for it later. He tossed his hair playfully towards the audience, singing with a cheerful air.

_I seen it all, I got nothing to prove_

_Come on baby, just make your move_

_Follow me, let's leave it all behind_

_Tonight_

_Like we just don't care_

That's it. The mage was going to die. Everybody in the room had noticed where Fai was looking, even the kids. It didn't help that Kurogane's scarlet face stuck out like a bright neon light. Sakura giggled, noticing Kurogane's intense embarrassment.

Syaoran had a strange look on his face when he stared at the furious man, though. When Syaoran noticed Kurogane's furious glare, he quickly turned away. The boy broke out in a wide smile and began clapping along with the audience.

_Let me take you on the ride of your life_

_That's what I said, all right_

_They can say what they wanna say_

_Cause tonight_

_I just don't even care_

"What the hell are you laughing at, kid?" Kurogane seethed, baring his teeth. His short black hair stood comically on end. Syaoran just smiled, and turned back to watch the performance. But Kurogane's trained ears easily heard what Syaoran mumbled.

"Oh, nothing. You just seem to be enjoying the performance, is all."

Great. Everybody would have to die now.

_Come on baby, we ain't gonna live forever_

_Let me show you all the things that we could do_

_You know you wanna be together_

_And I want to spend the night with you_

_/_

Fai was having an immense amount of fun. Pestering Kuro-chan was his favorite game. But he could tell that the ninja was reaching his limits. The blond's mischievous expression turned into a merely cheerful one, and he turned away from the ninja to face the rest of the audience.

_/_

Soon, the audience's focus switched from a flustered Kurogane back to Fai, clamoring for more. Kurogane glared at the man onstage with all his might, but suddenly felt his rage dissipate. Fai's gaze wasn't mocking anymore, but piercing. His voice was filled with emotion, surrounding the wide room in a dreamlike aura.

A smile, a genuine smile, was plastered across the man's face. For some reason, it sent a chill down the black-haired man's spine. Kurogane convinced himself it was because he was eagerly anticipating ripping off Fai's head.

_Yeah, yeah_

_With you_

_Come with me tonight_

_We can make the night last forever_

Kurogane had to admit; the mage was an excellent performer. Not that he cared. Which he didn't. It was just helpful, is all, Kurogane tried to convince himself. The idiot could probably get a job as an entertainer in this weird new urban world and earn the group some money.

Kurogane suddenly noticed that the kids had disappeared. He glanced around, genuinely worried. Jade and amber eyes peeked out at him from the crowd, dancing happily with teasing grins on both of their punchable little faces. Great. They were drunk again.

_Let's pretend you're mine_

_(We can just pretend, we can just pretend_

_Yeah, yeah)_

_You've got what I like_

_(You've got what I like, _

_I got whatcha like)_

_Oh, come on_

_Just one taste and you'll want more_

_So tell me what you're waiting for_

Fai stood near the edge of the stage, leaning out over the audience. With his long blond hair and tight shirt, the mage looked just like a girl. Fai's eyes caught Kurogane's once more, emotion seeming to bubble up through the clear blue depths. Fai broke the gaze for an instant to swirl gracefully towards the center stage.

_Come on baby, we ain't gonna live forever_

_Let me show you all the things that we could do_

_You know you wanna be together_

_And I want to spend the night with you_

The loud music built into a crescendo. Audience members were dancing along to the music, enjoying the song immensely. The kid and princess swirled around in drunken circles, and Kurogane swore he heard at least one "meow".

_Yeah, yeah_

_With you_

_Come with me tonight_

_We can make the night last forever_

_Forever_

The ninja blinked his ruby eyes slowly. Bright rainbow lights dazzled the audience, sparkling off the blond man's golden hair and sapphire eyes. Kurogane had to admit, the performance was amazing. He hadn't known Fai could really take something so seriously.

_Come on baby, we ain't gonna live forever_

_Let me show you all the things that we could do_

_You know you wanna be together_

_And I wanna spend the night with you_

_With you_

_Yeah, yeah_

_With you_

_Yeah, yeah_

The ninja allowed a small smile to appear on his usually stoic face. It was refreshing to see the wizard take something seriously for a change.

/

Fai glanced anxiously into the audience, searching. When ruby eyes met sapphire, the wizard felt a shock run through his body. The ninja had a strange expression on his face, one Fai had never seen before.

Kurogane… was smiling.

/

_So come with me tonight, _

_We can make the night last forever_

_Forever…_

The song ended dramatically, with Fai giving a swooping bow to the audience. Thunderous applause followed the blond man, people shaking his hand and squealing at him as Fai made his way back to the round table. He plunked down in the wooden chair next to Kurogane.

"Thanks, Kuro-sama," Fai's voice trailed. Kurogane gazed at the shorter man's face.

"What for? I didn't do anything," Kurogane mumbled incoherently, momentarily forgetting his plan to murder the idiotic mage. Fai smiled again, that beautiful genuine smile of his.

"I don't know. But thanks," stammered the mage, looking down.

BAM!

"Owwww, Kuro-rin! What was that for?" Fai whined, rubbing his blond head in hidden amusement.

"THAT was for embarrassing me," the ninja snapped angrily. "And THIS is in case you do it again."

But before the ninja could hit the mage again, the room fell silent. Kurogane was suddenly filled with a sense of dread. A warm light hit him square in the back, and every eye in the room watched the tall man. Kurogane looked up and was instantly blinded by the spotlight that fell upon him.

"It looks like we have our next contestant," The pretty lady in purple trilled, swirling the microphone in her manicured hands.

Oh, God. No.

/

To be continued…


	2. Part Two

"Well, then! Will the tall man in black please come up to the stage?" The hostess piped, holding out the microphone.

"But, I- uh, I can't-" Kurogane stuttered, reluctantly getting up from the round wooden table. Fai was sitting in his chair, laughing. The ninja flushed when he saw Syaoran and the princess in the audience, giggling. Sakura smiled, urging Kurogane on. The boy followed her lead, grinning at the tall ninja.

"Go on, Kuro-pon. You'll be fine!" the stupid blond laughed. Fai's white teeth sparkled as he flashed Kurogane a mischeivous grin.

"Easy for you to say, idiot! You can obviously sing, and perform well. You're not the one who's gonna be laughed off the stage," Kurogane growled, baring his teeth at the mage and looking for all the world like a big angry dog. Fai smiled an infuriating little grin, his wide blue eyes sparkling.

"Ooh, Kuro-chi thinks I'm a good singer! Will he ask for my autograph?" Fai teased, only stopping when he received a withering glare from the ninja.

There were several murmurs from the audience. Kurogane looked away from the mage to find the entire audience staring at him. Kurogane had always been, as Fai would say, the type to be quite easily embarrassed. But no previous humiliation even measured up to this. Kurogane suspected that hell would freeze over before the stupid wizard let him live this one down.

"Please take the stage, sir," the pretty brunette woman mused, still holding out the microphone expectantly. Kurogane's mouth gaped, leaving him feeling like an utter idiot.

Kurogane's feet suddenly tingled. He looked down to see a whirl of blue light disappear into his legs, propelling him forward through the crowd. It was a familiar tingle- the feeling of a certain wizard's magic. Kurogane whirled around, trying to get a good glare in before his legs forced him onstage.

Fai laughed loudly, Sakura joining in with the occasional drunken hiccup. Kurogane glared fiercely at the two of them, only stopping when his feet ran him into the small flight of stairs leading onstage. Fai giggled as the ninja nearly tripped up the stairs.

Kurogane clambered up the small staircase and walked slowly towards the center stage, fuming. The hostess of the show pushed the small microphone into the ninja's hands, giggling at his obvious distress. A vein popped on Kurogane's forehead, only adding to his comical appearance.

"Good luck, sweetheart!" the lady chuckled, quickly relocating herself to a place far out of the ninja's striking distance. Kurogane snarled inwardly; why did the world have to be so full of freaking idiots?

The ninja stood awkwardly on the stage, staring at his feet. He could feel hundreds of eyes on his face, and it made him extremely uncomfortable. Well, best to just get this over with, he figured. Kurogane looked up from the ground to the large screen in the back of the room, waiting anxiously for the song to start.

In the audience, Fai bit his lip. Though he'd been teasing the other man, the mage didn't think he could bear it if Kurogane got laughed at. He didn't really want Kurogane to be angry with him. But he'd already used a bit of his magic today- any more would be dangerous. It was all up to Kurogane now.

Syaoran and Sakura also wore anxious expressions. Drunk as they were, the kids still felt a little bad for sneaking away from the table to ask the spotlight operator to pick Kurogane to sing next. Sakura grabbed Syaoran's arm, pulling him back into the audience to watch the performance.

Amber, jade, and sapphire eyes were all trained on the ninja as the song began to play.

Kurogane read the lyrics flashing across the screen and nearly choked. The words were extremely sappy. Nevertheless, the ninja took a deep breath, and began to sing.

_So she said what's the problem baby  
What's the problem_

_I don't know  
Well, maybe I'm in love_

The entire audience let out a collective gasp. Syaoran and Sakura's mouths hung open, looking at each other in shock. Even the mage was at a loss for words, anxiously watching the performer.

_Love  
Think about it every time  
I think about it_  
_Can't stop thinking 'bout it_

The voice floating into the audience now was smooth and deep, perfectly carrying the song's tune. Fai's mouth dropped open as well. Kurogane was an even better singer than he was. The entire audience was silent, watching the tall man curiously.

_How much longer will it take to cure this  
Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love_

_Love  
Makes me wanna turn around and face me_

_But I don't know nothing 'bout love_

Kurogane watched the audience's response warily. The ninja searched the crowd for a certain pair of blue eyes, finally falling on Fai's stunned face. Kurogane grinned; he'd been waiting for a chance at revenge. The ninja figured it was his turn to finally embarrass the mage for once.He looked right at Fai, boring holes in the man's blue eyes with his own red ones.

The audience was stunned as well. They'd been anticipating a bad performer from his extremely awkward entrance, but the ninja's voice made up for his lack of movement. Kurogane stood at the front of the stage, but managed to not look too awkward by gazing straight out into the audience.

_Come on, come on  
Turn a little faster  
Come on, come on  
The world will follow after  
Come on, come on  
Because everybody's after love_

Kurogane had gained confidence when he saw that the audience had no intention of laughing him off the stage. A few couples had resumed dancing along with the music, and the kids sighed in relief when the ninja flashed a hint of a smile at the crowd of diners and dancers.

It was now Fai's turn to blush in embarrassment. Kurogane was looking right at him, a vengeful smile on the taller man's handsome face.

_So I said I'm a snowball running  
Running down into the spring that's coming all this love  
Melting under blue skies  
Belting out sunlight  
Shimmering love _

This song was just getting too sappy for Kurogane. The ninja realized he should probably stop looking at the mage, or else he might get the wrong idea. But as he sang, Kurogane found himself once more unable to break away from Fai's amazed eyes. Both men's faces were now intensely flushed.

_Well baby I surrender  
To the strawberry ice cream  
Never ever end of all this love  
Well I didn't mean to do it  
But there's no escaping your love_

Fai's blush was slowly fading, replaced by a curious grin. Kurogane looked away quickly, his face reddening even further.

_  
These lines of lightning  
Mean we're never alone,  
Never alone, no, no _

Fai slipped away from the round wooden table, picking his way through the crowd to stand beside Syaoran and Sakura in the audience. The two kids were both obviously quite drunk, swirling around on the dance floor happily.

When Kurogane glanced back at the table, he was startled to see that the mage wasn't there. His scarlet eyes scanned the crowd, finally finding the mop of blond hair. Fai and the kids were standing a few feet away from the stage.

_  
Come on, Come on  
Move a little closer _

His blue eyes were shining happily, reflecting the rainbow lights from the stage.

_  
Come on, Come on  
I want to hear you whisper_

And for the first time in a long time, Kurogane saw it.

_Come on, Come on  
Settle down inside my love_

A wide smile was stretched across the mage's face. A very genuine smile.

_Come on, come on  
Jump a little higher__  
Come on, come on  
If you feel a little lighter__  
Come on, come on  
We were once  
Upon a time in love_

The song slowed, giving the ninja a chance to catch his breath. He'd rarely seen that smile on the mage's face. It was almost... refreshing. He noticed with a blush that his heart was pounding loudly.

_  
We're accidentally in love_

_Accidentally in love…_  
_Accidentally in love…_

Fai watched Kurogane blush for what must have been the hundredth time that evening. He laughed, wondering what horrible fate the ninja had in mind for him once the song was over.

_Accidentally in love…_

_Accidentally in love…_

_Accidentally in love..._

_Accidentally in love…_

The mage did feel a little bad, though. He knew how easy it was for Kurogane to get embarrassed, and he certainly hadn't helped. Fai didn't know if the comfort of being applauded would really be enough.

_Accidentally in love…_  
_Accidentally…_

_I'm In Love, I'm in Love,  
I'm in Love, I'm in Love,_

_I'm in Love; I'm in Love,  
Accidentally _

Fai couldn't deny it, though. he was truly amazed by Kurogane's performance. His deep voice was very soothing, following the song's tune perfectly. But it brought a strange feeling into him when he noticed where the ninja's glances always seemed to land.

_I'm In Love, I'm in Love,  
I'm in Love, I'm in Love,_

_I'm in Love; I'm in Love,  
Accidentally_

_Come on, come on  
Spin a little tighter_

Kurogane brushed his spiky black hair off his forehead, one hand on the microphone. He realized awkwardly how sweaty his forehead was. He was probably still blushing, too. Damn.

_Come on, come on  
And the world's a little brighter_

_Come on, come on  
Just get yourself inside her love_

_I'm in love…_

The song ended with thundering applause. Fai was cheering happily. Kurogane swore he could hear a distinct "hyuu" over the roar of the crowd. His face turned a deep scarlet. Kurogane turned away from the audience, embarrassed. Damn it, why did he always have to blush when the mage did anything remotely friendly?

"It looks like we have a winner, folks! Give this boy a hand as he comes up to receive a wonderful cash prize!" The brunette hostess drawled, waving a small yellow envelope in front of him. Kurogane snatched it, shoving the pale envelope into his pocket hastily.

Kurogane pushed his way roughly through the crowd, planning to down the rest of his beer as soon as he got to the table. As he shoved roughly through a group of giggling girls, the ninja felt a hand grab his wrist lightly. He turned, startled, to face a smiling Fai.

"That was fun, huh, Kuro-pon? You know, you sing like a pretty boy!" Fai giggled, dropping Kurogane's wrist. Kurogane's hand tingled where Fai had touched it.

"Well, at least I don't look like one! You with your stupid pretty face, and girly voice," Kurogane growled.

"Oh, Kuro-daddy thinks I'm pretty? How sweet!" The blond man blinked his long eyelashes at Kurogane infuriatingly.

Snarling, Kurogane pushed his way through the crowd. He swung open the large wooden doors to the restaurant, storming off into the street. When the mage didn't follow, Kurogane flopped onto a roadside bench wearily. People walking by stared at the tall man for a few seconds, but quickly moved on after noticing the murderous expression on his face.

Leave it to the mage to ruin a perfectly happy moment. Not that Kurogane was happy. Which, of course, he hadn't been. When Fai was applauding wildly, his blue eyes sparkling, Kurogane hadn't been the slightest bit happy.

At least that's what the ninja told himself.

Well, maybe Kurogane could admit that whenever Fai was around, he felt just a bit strange. The constant smile that was plastered across the mage's face had a lightening effect, Kurogane supposed. Even if it wasn't always genuine. But that didn't explain the strange wave of heat that ran through Kurogane's body whenever Fai's hand brushed his, and when the mage blinked his deep blue eyes cheerfully.

In truth, Kurogane knew exactly what he felt for the mage, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. The stupid nicknames that Fai called him had once been an object of intense annoyance, but now, Kurogane felt strangely warm when he heard Fai call to him affectionately.

/

Fai plunked down at his seat dejectedly. He'd forgotten all about his plan to apologize to the ninja, instead embarrassing him even further. He stared absently at Kurogane's forgotten drink, watching the bubbles travel up the glass.

The blond searched the crowd for the two kids, smiling gently to himself when he saw them dancing slowly in the middle of the crowd. Syaoran looked so happy in that moment, the happiest Fai had seen the boy in a long time.

He glanced out the window, the smile slipping off his face. It was pitch-dark out. The streets would be empty by now.

Fai noticed Kurogane's black sweatshirt draped over his abandoned chair. He bit his lip, wondering if it was cold outside.

/

The ninja rested his chin in his broad hand, leaning back into the bench. The sparsely populated streets were slowly emptying even further, leaving the man alone in the dark night. He could hear soft music drifting through the restaurant's door a few feet away. Kurogane hadn't had the heart to leave; he figured the drunken kids would need somebody to carry them home eventually. It was freezing outside, though; Kurogane could see his breath when he exhaled. The ninja wrapped his arms around his muscled body in a vain attempt to stay warm.

After a few minutes, the streets were completely deserted. A clock on the side of a nearby building signaled the time as being close to midnight. Kurogane sighed, breathing in the summer night's cool air deeply.

"Kuro-sama?"

Kurogane jumped, his spiky black hair standing up comically; the voice had seemed to come from nowhere. The ninja looked around in surprise, finally locating the owner of the familiar voice as Fai slid onto the bench next to Kurogane. The blond draped a black sweatshirt over Kurogane's chilled shoulders.

"Don't DO that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Kurogane yelled, trying in vain to regain his composure.

Fai half-smiled, looking at the ground. The taller man grunted, turning his gaze towards the bright lights decorating the buildings.

"What? Did you come all the way out here just to make fun of me again?" Kurogane mumbled, pulling his sweatshirt over his head with a grateful expression that he hoped Fai didn't notice.

"No, I didn't," sighed the mage, the smile slipping off his pale face. "I just thought you might be getting lonely, out here in the dark by yourself."

"Well, I wasn't. Who said I needed your company?" Kurogane lied, still avoiding meeting the mage's eyes.

For a few silent minutes, Kurogane and Fai watched the sky darken even further. Stars were drizzled across the black void, slightly obscured by the city's bright lights and haze. The ninja shifted slightly, trying to make himself comfortable on the hard wooden bench. Suddenly, Fai spoke softly, his blue eyes gazing at the concrete sidewalk.

"I'm sorry... Kurogane."

The ninja looked up, startled. A cold electric shock ran down his spine. Fai didn't raise his gaze from the ground.

"What did you say?" Kurogane asked, staring at the mop of blond hair with an expression of shock.

"I shouldn't have embarrassed you like that. And I know you hate it when I call you nicknames, so if you want, I'll stop," Fai muttered sadly.

"But- you- I mean, you know-" Kurogane spluttered, searching for the right words. He'd always wanted to hear the infuriating mage call him by his proper name, but strangely, it didn't bring the satisfaction he had hoped for. All Kurogane felt was the cold sensation of a strange emptiness.

Fai looked up quickly at the sound of Kurogane's voice. To his surprise, the ninja sounded almost... sad.

"Uh, it's okay," Kurogane finally spat out, his flustered gaze now dropping to the ground.

"What do you mean?" Fai asked, gazing at the black-haired man hopefully.

"Uh, I mean, you can, um, call me whatever you want," Kurogane stuttered. "I, uh, don't really mind."

An electrifying smile spread across the blond's face, startling Kurogane. The ninja froze as Fai slid closer to Kurogane, sliding his arms around the taller man's neck. Kurogane's heart raced, fluttering up into his throat. Fai buried his face in the taller man's shoulder, wrapping his arms tighter around Kurogane.

Kurogane's hands seemed to move on their own, one pulling Fai in closer, the other resting in his long hair.

"Thank you... Kuro-tan."

Kurogane supposed he could forgive Fai… Just this one time.

/

The boy and princess had slipped out of the restaurant silently, hands intertwined. Standing near the corner of the street, Syaoran and Sakura ducked behind a potted plant to avoid being spotted by their companions.

"What I wouldn't give to see Kurogane-san's face if he found out what we did, right, Hime?" Syaoran joked, leaning against Sakura.

"But I suppose he'd forgive us eventually. After all, it's because of us picking him and Fai's karaoke tracks that they're out here now," Sakura giggled, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately.

"And it's Sakura, please, Syaoran. How many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'Hime'?" the princess scolded, leaning in to kiss a blushing Syaoran gently on the cheek.

Syaoran watched his two older friends embrace with a curious expression. After a moment of thoughtful pondering, he finally spoke.

"Love takes off masks we fear we cannot live without… but know we cannot live within."


End file.
